Kingdom Hearts players slam “broken” Nintendo Switch cloud version
Disney, Square EnixThe 20th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts was meant to be a celebratory time, but a somewhat disastrous launch of the cloud version on Switch has truly disappointed long-time fans.
Kingdom Hearts was originally released onto the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Combining elements of Disney animated features with that of the Final Fantasy universe, the collaboration was a smash hit for RPG fans across the world.
To celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary, Square Enix announced the remastered version would be available on the Nintendo Switch via cloud play. However, disgruntled fans are firing shots at the developers for the troubled launch of the cloud version.
Disney, Square EnixKingdom Hearts players take aim at “garbage release” on Switch
The cloud version of Kingdom Hearts dropped on February 10 and has met immediate backlash for its buggy state. Gaming YouTuber Cynical was among the first waves of players to flame the Switch version, by releasing a parodic trailer that presented an “accurate” depiction of the release.
Cynical’s video sparked conversation among upset players, with commenter @shubshub11 saying “Can’t believe they’re charging $90 USD for this garbage release of a beloved franchise.”
Kingdom Hearts cloud version trailer but it’s accurate – https://t.co/pivsMFAWRw pic.twitter.com/8WcjaxvVPn
— Cynical (@thegamersjoint) February 11, 2022
The debate became increasingly heated when prominent Kingdom Hearts and HYPE content creator HMKilla spoke out about the “broken” ports. In an earlier tweet on February 12, HMKilla described the ports as “objectively bad”, which caused commenter @AnjinNosaji07 to jump in too.
Because Cloud Gaming KH Ports are OBJECTIVELY BAD https://t.co/O24mLkH316
— HMK (@HMKilla) February 12, 2022
It’s like this and (don’t hate me!)
Kingdom hearts cloud ports are BAD and just doesn’t work. The stutter is bad, awful ports Not something i would buy.God of War is a great series, lot of cool graphics looks awesome, but it not my style so Not for me. But you can love it.
— Colton Altamyre🇨🇦 ※- 🎆NEW YEARS WOOOO🎆 (@AnjinNosaji07) February 12, 2022
Kingdom Hearts enthusiast @StickmanSham encouraged players not to purchase the release: “Don’t buy kingdom hearts on the Nintendo Switch it f****** sucks for obvious reasons.”
Others have shared Sham’s opinion too: “PLEASE do not support this. This cannot be the way games evolve for us in the future. You’re literally paying full price for the right to access an online game file that, at any moment, can be taken away leaving you with nothing.”
Square Enix has since released a patch for the cloud version of Kingdom Hearts. Series Producer Ichiro Hazama said that “production of a native version” was “undecided” in October 2021.